Beastly Devastation (Brock Lesnar)

Chapter Four

          I have to admit, when I saw the gym for the first time, I panicked. Dana never sent his fighters to a place like this. I mean, the building alone had to be over a hundred years old and the gym was literally just a hole in the wall. You had to go around the back alley to find the entrance and even then, it was pretty hidden. Vines were creeping up the sides of the brick and into broken windows near the second floor, covering the door itself.

          When Brock took a pocket knife out of his jeans and started tearing the plants from the entrance, I spoke. "You have got to be kidding me, right? Am I being Punk'd? Because if I am, this is so not funny."

          Brock glanced at me but continued slicing through the greenery. "What are you talking about?"

          I could tell by his voice that he was genuinely confused so being Punk'd was definitely out of the question. "Why are we here? Out of all the gyms in this huge city, we're here, in the middle of nowhere. I mean, is this even safe? We're in a creepy back alley in Las Vegas. Do you not watch the news? This is like where murders happen. Where innocent women get kidnapped and brought to for human trafficking."

          He slid the knife back into his pocket and gave the door knob a little shake. When it didn't open, he walked over to a hidden window sill and pulled a key out. With a low chuckle, he opened the door. "I can assure you that I'm not a kidnapper or a rapist, and neither are any of the other guys on the team. This place is safer than some big gym chain in the middle of the city." He paused and stepped back. "Ladies first."

          I shook my head. "Hell no. Big, scary men first!" He rolled his eyes and stepped inside. I followed with caution as I took in my surroundings...

          It was grungy but not as bad as I had pictured from the outside. "Kate, you have nothing to worry about. No one's gonna jump out and grab you if that's what you're thinking."

          I shrugged. "It may have crossed my mind..."

          Before he could respond, a group of guys entered the gym. They were pretty big, scary dudes but judging by the smiles on their faces and the chants of Brock's name, I assumed they were supposed to be here. "We knew it! We knew you couldn't stay away!" One of them spoke as they walked toward Brock.

          "Nah, man, he's too addicted to the adrenaline rush!" Another added.

          They surrounded him, congratulating him on the big fight. I stood against the wall until they finished and when I wasn't noticed, I cleared my throat. Brock looked to me first before speaking. "Oh, yeah, this is Kate Dawson. She's part of the team now."

          The guys looked to one another before a sly smile appeared on their face. "Ah, we get it, man. Is she our reward for training you so well last time?"

          I couldn't tell who said it before they all started whistling and laughing but it didn't matter. My temper went from zero to a hundred in less than a second. "I don't know who the hell y'all think you are but the next time you talk to me like that, or make obscene noises toward me, you'll be out of a job. All of your paychecks go through my hands and if you want to keep getting paid, I suggest you get it together before I let Dana know how you're acting. And you all know that won't turn out well."

          I watched as their faces paled, knowing that I had just put the fear of God in them. Before I knew it, Brock was standing next to me, addressing them. "Kate is a higher up, who works one-on-one with Dana. She happens to be the reason I'm here and I hope that you will respect her just as much as you respect me." He pauses as the guy's mumble apologies. "Now, let's pretend that didn't happen and get to work... Kate, this is Tyler, Mike, Big Steve, and Jase. Each of them specialize in their own fighting area and this is Rodrigo, my head coach."

          A middle-aged Latino steps forward and shakes my hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Kate. What's your area of expertise?"

          I smiled. "Cain Velasquez."

          They all looked to Brock for an explanation. "Kate knows Cain better than anyone." He paused. "She was part of his entourage and has seen his training first hand. She knows his strengths and weaknesses, which makes her an asset to this team."

          I was surprised by how careful he chose his words. He could have told them the whole story, but he didn't and that's when I knew that what Brock and I discussed in private was just between us. He had earned some trust and respect in my book, now it was up to him to keep it.

          My phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling a text. I quickly got it out and checked my messages, noticing they were from Dana.

The blond up front knows nothing about the media.

I need you to set up the announcement with the press. She has no idea what she's doing. Seriously considering firing her.

          I chuckled as I looked up to the five pairs of eyes staring at me. "I'm sorry but I've got to make some phone calls. Dana is apparently helpless without me." Brock smiled. "Anyhow, to get you guys started, I'll give you a quick overview. Cain loves to strike, he's quick with his hands and can throw a punch in a blink of an eye but he sucks at grappling. If Brock can take him to the ground and avoid those punches, he's got an easy win. The problem is, he's a hard takedown. He knows if he's grounded and put in a submission, he'll tap and he will do almost anything to avoid that."

          Rodrigo responds. "So we need to come up with a game plan to surprise Cain, to let his guard down. Once he does, he won't know what hit him."

          I nod. "Exactly. Now, I've got to make some press calls. When I'm done, I'll go into more detail." They agreed as I stepped into a spare room beside the cage and started going through my business contacts.

          I knew that as soon as I announced the fight to the press, Cain would get word and he wouldn't be happy. He would likely try to talk his way out of it but being the champion, he can't turn down a fight. It's in his contract and he would soon realize that.

          What I was really looking forward to was the press conference itself. Cain still thinks that I'm in rehab and when he learns that I'm not, and I'm back in command, he'll realize that he's in trouble...

          With me and  the beast.